National Plug in Day brought together EV lovers from across America to celebrate the latest accomplishments in the EV industry. This year marked the second year in a row that Denver hosted a National Plug in Day event.

“Denver was chosen as one of the locations last year and we had such great success, that a second event was definitely something that we wanted to host and I think this year we’ve seen double the amount of attendees and double the amount of vendors,” said Natalia Swalnick, Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association.

Fisker Karma popularAbout 12 vendors promoted different alternatives for the public. A particularly popular display was the Fisker Karma car. This so-called Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) can go up to 50 miles solely on electricity but also has the option to run an additional 250 miles on gasoline.

The Fisker Karma has a solar panel rooftop that enables it to use solar energy to add up to an additional four to five miles of EV range on a sunny day. It also allows users to charge their phone and use the heater and air-conditioning without taking too much power from the car’s battery.

Some of the things on display offered by vendors in attendance included pure EVs, hybrid cars, as well as services to do hybrid conversions. Most of the vendors also were offering the public useful information about EV’s while also stressing their importance and their convenience.

Children and adults of all ages and sizes showed their interest for EV technology. Their enthusiasm for supporting the EV cause was not hampered by the unusually warm weather for late September – temperatures hit the low 80s.

Several people were able to take test drives and speak about solar energy to enthusiasts from around Colorado.

New technology“I think it’s really interesting to see the new technology that is developing and what’s coming down the pike, and it’s a lot more developed than I ever imagined,” said Carolyn Sutton, who attended the event with her family.

Throughout the afternoon, people interviewed by SolarChargedDriving.Com emphasized the importance that EVs as well as the renewable energy + EV synergy. Many of the vendors interviewed also gave explanations as to why EVs are important for the environment.

“Not only do EVs enable us to use clean energy sources but they also allows us to use our domestic sources while oil mostly comes from foreign sources,” he noted.

Festive atmosphereA festive atmosphere was punctuated by an enthusiastic music band, which set a great mood during the event.

Although most of the individuals interviewed by SolarChargedDriving.Com had a interest in buying an EV or learning more about them, many also noted the reasons they haven’t bought one yet.

“Part of it is costs,” said Guzyk of consumers who have a strong interest in EVs but who have not yet purchased one. “The purchase price of an EV is much higher than a gas car although the operating costs are lower and also because of range anxiety.”